Have you ever heard of relationship OCD? When you think of OCD you are likely to think of a person who washes their hands repeatedly or who wants to clean all the time. Yet OCD with regards to relationships is a little known subset of anxiety that most people are unaware of. In fact, at first many people wonder if they actually have a real condition but relationship OCD is a genuine condition.

This post may contain affiliate links which means that we get a commission if you choose to make a purchase through the link. This is at no cost to you. Please read our disclosure page for more information.  

What is Relationship OCD?

So what is relationship OCD? It is an anxiety-related problem involving worries or doubts about your relationship with your partner. If you have this variation of OCD you are likely to question whether your partner may love you or if they are really attracted to you. You feel fearful or worried that you are not good enough for your partner or alternatively that they might not be good enough for you.

When you have relationship OCD it seems impossible not to fixate on every detail of your relationship and what your partner is saying or doing. You are likely to pick up on minor flaws in their looks or in what they say. There may be worries that you are not loved enough and these can consume your everyday thoughts.

OCD in Relationship

Any form of OCD can be debilitating but when it concerns relationships it can be particularly problematic as it can undermine your whole world. OCD is time-consuming as you spent large parts of the day consumed with your worries. The anxiety that it provokes creates feelings of fear and upset.

As with any form of OCD that is significant you may find that other parts of your life also start to suffer. For example, it may be difficult to concentrate on your job because of worries about your partner. Or you may find that when you meet up with friends all you can talk about are your worries which can strain your relationships.

Relationship OCD Symptoms

Although many people may ask themselves if they are in the right relationship Relationship OCD takes these questions and worries to the next level. Here are just some of the main relationship OCD symptoms you might experience with this form of anxiety:

• Fixating on your partner’s flaws
• Questioning your partner’s personality
• Questioning whether you are more attracted to others around you
• Worries that you are in the right relationship
• Constantly questioning whether you should be together with your partner
• Repeatedly asking friends about your relationship
• Assessing your friends and families relationships against yours
• Using the internet to research love, attraction and how you should feel in a relationship

Relationship OCD Cheating

Anxiety always makes you think about the worst things that could happen in your life. Even though these thoughts are not true your mind will fixate on the thought that something bad might happen. In the case of relationship OCD, this fear may revolve around cheating.

You may worry constantly that your partner does not love you or will cheat on you. Alternatively, you may constantly be thinking about all the terrible things that could happen if you cheated on them.

Therapy for OCD helps you to challenge these unhelpful thoughts and allows you to rationalise and accept they are not true.

Overcoming Anxiety

It is perfectly possible to manage these thoughts and feelings with the right therapy. There are plenty of people who have recovered from OCD by getting the right help. CBT and ERP therapy are both known to be incredibly helpful at managing OCD.

Hypnosis for OCD can also make a big difference providing you find a therapist that can help you understand the underlying reasons for your problem. The need to fixate on relationships is unlikely to have come out of the blue. OCD hypnotherapy can help you trace back what created the problem and help you make sense of what your mind is trying to do.

Relationship OCD Book

There are currently not that many books discussing relationship OCD but the following may be helpful. Remember that OCD treatments may be similar despite the subset of anxiety that you have. This means a generic OCD book can also be helpful.

Relationship OCD Recovery Solution by Ali Greymond is a Kindle book which may be able to help you understand why you have your thoughts and what you can do to stop them.

There is also the best selling book Overcoming Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts which will cover all forms of the problem. This book uses CBT techniques to help you change the way you think. With hundreds of positive reviews, it has helped many to overcome their unhelpful thought patterns.

Relationship OCD Help

As with any form of anxiety, help is available. Many people with anxiety-related issues are often reluctant to get the help they need. Many people will suffer in silence for many years before they get a proper diagnosis of their problem and decide on a treatment.

The first port of call for anyone with this problem should be to get a formal diagnosis from your doctor. You may be offered some form of medication to see if that can help with your problem. Medication can be useful especially if your anxiety levels are extremely high.

If you would prefer to think of natural solutions then therapy such as CBT or ERP are two of the main forms of help. Exposure Response Prevention Therapy is a particular type of CBT that focuses on you facing your fears rather than trying to prevent your problem. If you have relationship OCD a therapist may ask your partner to also be involved in the therapy program.

Hypnosis for OCD

Hypnosis for OCD takes a slightly different approach. Firstly it can be used in conjunction with the therapies above to help you feel calmer and more in control as you face your fears. Deep relaxation techniques can be taught to you during sessions to help you work through your problems with your CBT or ERP therapist. My self-hypnosis for anxiety download program can also help to increase feelings of calm.

The origin of your problem can also be discussed during analytical hypnosis sessions. It can often be difficult for people to understand where their problems originated from making them feel out of control and frightened. Hypnosis for OCD helps you to trace back through your memories to discover the incident that may be behind the problem.

Why does understanding help so much? When you remember why your anxiety was created it is like the final piece of a jigsaw puzzle being revealed to show you the big picture. Understanding the reason for a problem takes away some of the fear. It also helps you to rationalise the anxiety and review the information in a new light. For many people, this changes the intensity of the anxiety.

Online OCD Therapy Sessions

Online Relationship OCD therapy sessions can be just as effective as seeing a client face to face. They allow you to discuss your problems in the comfort of your own home and relax into hypnosis without ever needing to go to a clinic.

If you would like help understanding the origins of your relationship OCD problem then just fill out the form below to get details of my anxiety programs.

You Might Also Want to Read:

10 Ways Hypnotherapy for OCD Can Make a Difference

Online Therapy for Anxiety – Why it Works

Anxiety for No Reason – What You Need to Know

*This site is owned and operated by rewirethemind.com. Rewirethemind.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.